From a record-breaking 822 entries, the Aussie Millions 2019 Main Event has reached the final table rounded by the last remaining seven players. While each one is a force to reckon with, only one player will earn the title and the AU$1,850,000 (US$1.34M) top prize.
Here’s a brief review on each of the players:
Michael Del Vecchio – USA – 5,465,000
Last year Michael Del Vecchio finished 5th at this same event. Impressively, he is back in familiar territory and with the largest stack of the final crew. Del Vecchio has been picking up momentum since his first-ever live tournament career victory at the WPT Rolling Thunder Main Event in March 2017. He then capped that year with a massive six-figure payday at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic – US$10,400 Main Event earning US$ 752,196 for 3rd place. To kick off 2018, he took 5th at the Aussie Millions.
Andrew Hinrichsen – Australia – 5,300,000
Andrew Hinrichsen has been racking up stats for a decade and has amassed over US$1.3M in live tournament earnings. He has shown success in various festivals around the globe such as the ANZPT, APPT Sydney, Macau Poker Cup Championship, WSOP Europe (Cannes), and APPT- Asia Championship of Poker. He also ran very deep at the 2011 WSOP Main Event finishing 23rd for his largest payday of US$ 302,005. Throughout the years, he has accumulated numerous cashes at the Aussie Millions. Prior to this one, his deepest Main Event finish was 32nd place.
Matthew Wakeman – Australia – 4,010,000
Matthew Wakeman has a highly commendable list of deep runs piled up since 2010. While plenty of five figure payouts are scattered throughout, last year was a big one earning a couple of first-ever six figure cashes. His first one was in August at the 2018 Sydney Championships AU$20K No Limit Hold’em High Roller event. He placed 2nd for AU$ 159,600 (~US$118,500). Then in December, he won the WSOP International Circuit Sydney AU$5K Challenge for an even bigger AU$256,496 (~US$188,800). Although this is his largest career payout, it is likely he will surpass it with his current stack at the Main Event.
Clinton Taylor – Australia – 3,845,000
Not much is known of Clinton Taylor however he did eliminate Michael Egan (13th) to form the final two tables. It was a grind from there, successfully defending some of his forced blinds. If this is indeed to be marked as his first live tournament cash then he is one to watch for with no prior history to size him up.
Hamish Crawshaw – New Zealand – 3,640,000
Hamish Crawshaw is the last player holding up the flag for New Zealand. His fans would be very proud in that Crawshaw is already booked for his first six-figure score, possibly seven if he takes it all the way. Among his latest achievements, last year he won a small Main Event in Auckland for around US$ 38,000. He is running well at the Aussie Millions with two cashes already pocketed.
Gyeong Byeong Lee – Korea – 1,540,000
Gyeong Byeong Lee may not have the extensive list of achievements to boast of but getting this far is already an honorable accomplishment. Playing mostly in Asia, his first major victory was at the Asian Poker Tour Manila Series back in May 2016. The following year he trekked to America for the WSOP and earned his largest live cash of US$ 61,929 at the Main Event for 91st place. Lee is already guaranteed to surpass that previous score no matter where he places. In fact, he will more than double his total live tournament earnings.
Bryn Kenney – USA – 920,000
Bryn Kenney is undoubtedly the most decorated player in the lineup. Kenney boasts of over US$25 Million in live tournament earnings and is the only player that has scored a seven-figure payout. In fact, he has four scores in the million range and an incredibly long list of six-figures cashes. Kenney is a WSOP bracelet winner, and has also won events all around the world: Prague, Barcelona, Amsterdam, England, Monte Carlo, Bahamas, plus High Roller events in Las Vegas. Although he has the shortest stack coming in, he is certainly a threat. No matter where he falls, this will be largest win in Australia with only one prior cash in the country.
Remaining payouts
1st AU$ 1,850,000
2nd AU$ 1,130,000
3rd AU$ 662,500
4th AU$ 483,000
5th AU$ 380,300
6th AU$ 309,000
7th AU$ 242,000
Notable players in the money
Plenty of notable players found their way to the money round. 88 places were paid. Among the receivers were: Robert Glasspool (8th), Michael Addamo (17th), Jack Salter (18th), Quan Zhou (28th), Jesse Sylvia (45th), Michael Soyza (57th), Do Hoang (60th), Yosuke Sekiya (69th), and Aditya Sushant (87th).
The Aussie Millions 2019 Main Event resumes on Sunday, February 3. Somuchpoker will have the results as soon as it concludes.
Article by Tricia David
Louis Hartwell
Graduated in Media Communication at the University of Lausanne, Louis Hartman is a co-founder of somuchpoker.com. He began his career in Cambodia as freelance journalist. In same time he was making his living by playing poker every night at that time. Intense learner, he read dozens of poker strategy books to improve his skills during many years. With a strong interest about poker "behind the scene" in Asia and his communication skills, Louis launched Somuchpoker in 2014.
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